Vineyard Road Trips: Northern California and Oregon Wine Country

Pick up your California campervan rental at Traveller’s Autobarn in San Francisco before heading east on I-80. It’s a quick one-hour drive to get there, but we recommend making a quick detour to Domaine Carneros.

Domaine Carneros is a winery situated on the southernmost edge of Napa County. Enjoy a glass of the famed sparkling wine while touring the French-inspired chateau and gardens.

Once you arrive in Napa proper, park your campervan RV rental for the night at Skyline Wilderness Park. Then, we recommend climbing aboard the Napa Valley Wine Train for a six-hour wine-tasting tour of all Napa has to offer.

The Sonoma Valley is a hop, skip, and a jump away from Napa. You’ll head west on Monticello Road, which will take you past two of California’s most famous vineyards: Gloria Ferrer Wines and the Cline Family Cellars.

We recommend reserving a spot at a Glen Ellen campground or one of the area’s many regional parks before heading out on your Sonoma Valley adventure.

Stop by the Sonoma Plaza town square for a bite to eat and a sampling of the local wines. Nearby wineries to visit include the beautiful Buena Vista Winery, Jacuzzi Family Vineyards, and Gundlach Bundschu Winery.

It takes a little over two hours to get to Mendocino, a coastal city known for its farm-to-table cuisine and one-of-a-kind oceanfront botanical gardens. Before you get there via US-101 N, you’ll pass through Santa Rosa and Healdsburg.

Santa Rosa is technically part of Sonoma County. If you didn’t get to visit while in Sonoma, now is your chance. Walk the vineyards of the majestic St. Francis Winery before driving a few more minutes to Healdsburg.

Healdsburg is a little less than halfway to Mendocino and the last stop before leaving Sonoma County. We recommend stopping by the Seghisio Family Vineyards or the Williamson Winery before finishing your trek.

The best place to park your campervan in Mendocino is the Mendocino Woodlands State Park. You’re sleep nestled beneath the redwoods only a few minutes from downtown, where you can sample wines from the Meyer Family and Fathers + Daughters Cellars.

The drive from Mendocino to Eureka will take you north on CA-1 and US-101, also known as the Pacific Coast Highway. Break up the two-and-a-half-hour drive with stops in Fort Bragg and Humboldt Redwoods State Park.

When you reach Fort Bragg, drive a few more miles up the scenic coastline to the cliffside Pacific Star Winery. Here, you can sample the popular red wine blends with a view.

You’ll leave the coastline behind and pass through two fun drive-thru tree parks in Legget and Myer’s Flat. Take a pit stop to camp for the night beneath the giant redwoods of Humboldt Redwoods State Park before finishing the drive.

In Eureka, you’ll have plenty of camping options, including the scenic Shoreline RV Park. Use this spot as your launching point to visit Old Growth Cellars in Eureka’s charming Old Town. Other top wineries in the area are the Septentrio Winery and the Trinity River Vineyards.

If you’re tired of NorCal wines, you’re in luck. The next stop on your vineyard vista is Ashland, OR. Head north via US-101 and US-199 and you’ll reach Oregon in about four and a half hours.

Plan to stay in Crescent City for the night. That way, you can visit the Moonstone Crossing and Fieldbrook Wineries and the chainsaw tree sculptures in Klamath, CA’s Trees of Mystery.

Wake up bright and early to finish the drive to Ashland. Book a spot for your campervan at Ashland’s Creekside Campground, convenient to the area’s incredible vineyards.

Sip wine against a mountain backdrop at the Dana Campbell Vineyards, Belle Fiore Winery, and Weisinger Family Winery. If you don’t have time to try them all, stop in at the Wine Garden Tasting Room in downtown Ashland to discover Southern Oregon’s most exquisite wines.

From Ashland, hop on I-5 N for Eugene, Oregon’s second-largest city. It’s nearly a three-hour drive, but you can break it up with quick stops at three highly-rated Oregon wineries.

First stop: the Reustle-Prayer Rock Vineyards. This winery serves as the halfway point of your journey. Stop and stay awhile to tour the gorgeous wine cave and sample the surprisingly affordable wine and food pairings.

A few miles up the road is the Brandborg Vineyard and Winery, where you can bring your furry friend to sample wines on the patio. Your last stop before reaching your campsite is the King Estate Winery- the best winery in Eugene.

The closest campground to Eugene is in Armitage Park. Take the bus to downtown Eugene, where you’ll be close to the Sarvery Winery overlooking the Three Sisters and Eugene’s first-ever bonded winery, Silvan Ridge.

It’s only a quick hour-and-a-half drive from Eugene to Portland. When you pass through the state capital of Salem, you’re halfway there.

If you aren’t in a rush, consider making a pit stop at the Willamette Valley Vineyards just south of Salem. This classic Oregon winery is a leading producer of the area’s famed Pinot Noirs and Chardonnays.

Just south of Portland, you will run into the Champoeg State Heritage Area. This beautiful and historic park is situated on the Willamette River and is convenient to Portland and surrounding wineries.

We recommend the wineries in Dayton, which is about 25 miles from downtown Portland. The area has multiple award-winning vineyards, such as the Stoller Family Estate and the Sokol Blosser and Domaine Serene Wineries.

It’s time to turn your campervan around and journey back south. But your NorCal-Oregon wine tour isn’t over just yet.

If you didn’t get the chance to stop at the stunning Domaine Serene Winery in Dayton or Eugene’s charming King Estate Winery, now’s the time. You’ll also get a second chance to visit the Brandborg Vineyard and Winery.

Before driving to your Medford campsite, consider overshooting your goal to travel the Bear Creek Wine Trail. This stretch of Oregon wine country runs from Medford to Ashland, taking you by a dozen highly-rated wineries.

Once in Medford, head to Valley of the Rogue Park. The park offers a year-round campsite and is convenient to Medford wineries. It’s also a great place to relax and unwind riverside after so many days on the road.

When you leave Medford, you’ll pass by the Red Lily Vineyards and Cowhorn Vineyard in Jacksonville and the Schmidt Family Vineyards in Grants Pass.

After that, it’s about an hour to the heart of the Redwood National Park. If you don’t mind a detour, head north on US-101 once you reach Crescent City. A few miles up the road, you’ll hit the Samuel H. Boardman State Scenic Corridor.

The journey down the southern Oregon and northern California coastline takes less than half an hour, and the incredible coastal views are worth the trip.

Once you arrive at Redwood National Park, you can stay at one of the developed campgrounds or try your luck at backcountry camping. While in the area, don’t forget to stop by the nearby Coates Vineyard.

The last leg of your adventure is the longest. Luckily, much of the drive takes you south down US-101, where you’ll get the chance to watch ocean fog roll over the idyllic redwood-lined coast.

We recommend making nearly all of the five-and-a-half-hour drive in one go. That way, you can park your campervan at a campsite in San Francisco before sampling what the local wineries and vineyards offer.

San Francisco is home to wine-tasting venues like JAX Vineyards, Loos Family Winery, and York Creek Vineyards. The Winery Collective is a tourist favorite because it overlooks the harbor and the Golden Gate Bridge.

When you feel like you’ll never take another sip of wine again, it’s time to return your California campervan to Traveller’s Autobarn in San Francisco. We’ll be waiting to see you again next time you take a San Francisco road trip.

These ten stops are the best way to sample the wines Oregon and Northern California wine country are known for. Making a road trip of it gives you exclusive access to incomparable views of the Pacific Northwest countryside and coastline.

Have your flight booked and bags packed? The last step is to reserve a campervan for your California and Oregon wine-country road trip. Traveller’s Autobarn has a wide selection of transportation available for affordable rates.

Get a quote for your San Francisco campervan rental to see how much you can save!